Reading the Future, Book One
by Alashay13
Summary: People from the past and some maybe from the future reading the Harry Potter series.
1. Chapter 1

Hey peeps! Yeah, I know people have been doing a lot of these kinds of fics, but that won't stop me from doing my own. The Marauders find a book and decide that they should read it. So, they get the Lily's friends, and start reading. Also, it said from J.K Rowling herself, that Sirius and Remus were friends with Lily at Hogwarts and of course beyond, but it took a few days (in my opinion) for Lily to actually be Sirius' friend. Is that alright?

Marauders, Lily, Severus, and other friends: Before the Lake accident

Harry and co.: Right after the war.

Is that alright? Alright then! I think I have a thing for the word alright. Argh! Lily will pretty much hate James through the first three chapters, as it would be hard for her to believe that she is going to marry the guy she despises after despising him for six year (since they get together in there seventh) So, I guess I will just let you read this story now. Have fun!

Introduction

They were free! Free from OWL'S! That was what was going through every fifth year on that hot June day (AN: they take the test in June, right) Sirius black flopped on the lush grass by the lake tree, shadowed by the beech tree and enjoyed his freedom. Remus Lupin, just leant up against the other side and pulled out a book called Nightlight, Parody. He had gotten it from Lily Evans, his best friend. James Potter pulled out a snitch he nicked a couple of weeks ago.

Peter Pettigrew just watched in fascination and clapped loudly at every spectacular save James made. James looked a little while from there spot were a group of girls were dangling there feet in the lake. "Moony, I'm bored!" Sirius whined after sitting there for five minutes. "Why don't you go over and read a book?" Remus suggested, hoping that will get rid of Sirius' whining. Before anybody could comment, seven books fell on top of the Marauders' head

Remus, rubbing his head, looked at one and read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." he looked up at the other three, confused. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Sirius read, wondering what that meant. "Harry Potter and theSorerer's Stone." James read his book and looked at Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Peter held up Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Remus then picked up Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. "Potter? James, is he a relative of yours?" Sirius asked. James' father was Charlus Harry Potter, but that was all they could think of. Who was he? "Maybe his is prong's son!" Peter suggested. James brightened at that. His son. One that he could teach pranks to and tells him all the secret passageways. Even give him the Marauder's Map! "We'll never know if we don't read." Remus said. A note appeared and Remus read aloud for them only to hear.

Dear Marauders,

After certain events that happen in the future, everything has been out of control. Nobody can walk the streets without worrying for there safety, as Voldemort is getting stronger then before. We hope, for everyone safety, that you will, with the help of some others, change the world. So that kids can go out and play, without having there parents worry about Death Eaters. So that people can actually know that they can go out and have fun without the constant reminder that death may be closer than they think and that many people's lives will be saved. Please bring Lily Evans, Severus Snape, Sharpay Perkins, Aribella Martinez, Frank Longbottem, Alice Williams, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Regulas Black. We will be sending people from the future. So that they can meet the people they never got to meet. When you have everybody, Say 'Levirident and you will be transferred to the reading place we suggested. Please refrain from hexing anyone there.

From,

Alashay

"We have to bring who?" James and Sirius shouted, drawing some attention. "Shut-up. Let's go get them." Remus said, a little annoyed at there shouting as he had been right next to them. They found Lily, Severus, Sharpay, Aribella, Alice, Frank and Regulas all where James had last saw them, and brought them with them after some troubles, and went to go get the two Professors. Professor McGonagall gave Professor Dumbledore a glance before Remus said, nice and clearly "Levirident!"

Author's Note: What do you think so far? Good, bad, or just plain awful? Just push that review button and tell me a mouthful. Flames will just be used to toast my hands in my freezing downstairs. Reviewers get cookies. Chocolate chip cookies that are soft and moist. Mmmm, that just got me hungry and it is eleven at night. Might as well get a snack before heading to bed. Remember to review and tell me who I should bring at what chapter and time or if I should just bring anyone at all. See you later peeps! Alashay is out!


	2. The Boy Who Lived

Author's Note: I am so sorry! If you knew how my life has turned upside down then right side up in as little as a few months, you will understand why I am just now posting up the newest chapter. Apparently my parents think its funny to mess with my writing schedule like that. Anyways, I am on spring break so no school-related excuses. And I'm pretty much going to have the house to myself while my mom's at work, which means I will be working more on this. I promise I never meant to take a long break. I think its called a hatius, but who cares. I just hope you haven't lost hope in this. I haven't and I am really excited to get back to writing. So, I hope you like it. I tried to keep it as serious as I could, but try and add some Sirius into it. But that didn't really work out so... just read and tell me what I did wrong. Have fun!

"So, who is going to read?" asked Sirius. Lily handed James the book, looking slightly reluctant.

"Potter. Since it is -possibly- a family relation." said Lily. James flashed Lily a smile, but she ignored it.

Severus and Regulus looked at each other. Would they really have to be here with the idiot Marauders all day? Lily was having the same thoughts. She might be friends with Remus and Sirius, though Sirius got on her nerves many times, she didn't fancy spending her day with James 'the insufferable toe rag' Potter and Peter 'Hogzilla' Pettigrew.

"Okay, first chapter." James said, clearing his throat.

Chapter 1- The Boy Who Lived

"Who's that?" asked Sirius, voicing everyones question.

"We will never know if you interrupt." growled Severus, not liking one bit that he was stuck in a room with these people.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.

"Nonsense?" asked Sirius.

"Why would anyone want to be normal?" asked Frank, making Alice shrug.

"Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.

"What are drills?" asked Regulus curiously, making Severus growl.

"Muggles use them to build things and fix things." Lily said, not wanting to go into full detail.

He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.

Alice shuddered, and Aribella made a sound of disgust.

Mrs. Dursley was a thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.

"Sounds like my sister." muttered Lily, Severus and her sharing a smile.

The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't they could bear it if anyone found about the Potters.

"Whats wrong with Potters?" demanding James, making Sirius say,

"Yeah."

"I can name a few." muttered Severus, irritated with all the interruptions.

Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several year; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretend she didn't have a sister

"That is so sad." said Alice sadly. Lily couldn't help but think how odd it was that Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Dursley's relationship was like her and her sister's.

because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish

"Is that even a word?" asked James, looking up from the book.

Remus shook his head.

as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him.

"Why not?" asked Alice.

This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.

"A child like what?" asked Professor McGonagall, her eyes flashing.

When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious thing would soon be happening all over the country.

"What?" asked Sirius

"Well never know if you do not be quite Padfoot." said Remus.

Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work,

"Why?" asked Sirius, making Severus, Lily, and Professor McGonagall give him a look.

and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrested a screaming Dudley into his high chair.

Professor McGonagall shook her head.

None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.

"Don't hex me, but why would an owl be near them?." said Sirius.

At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.

"Brat." muttered Peter, making Alice jump. She had forgotten that he had been next to her.

"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and back out of number four's drive.

It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar- a cat reading a map.

"An Animagus, maybe?" asked Lily.

"Possible." Aribella said, shrugging her shoulders.

For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight.

"Professor McGonagall, aren't you a tabby cat?" asked Remus. Professor McGonagall gave him a look.

"Mr. Lupin, explain why I would be in a muggle neighborhood."

What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive- no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.

"Animagi can." pointed out James.

"He doesn't know that though." reminded Peter.

Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he though of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.

But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to b a lot of strangely dressed people about.

"How so?" asked Aribella.

People in cloaks.

"That's not strange." protested Frank.

"For muggles it is. They dress different then us." said Alice, proud of herself for remembering something from Muggle Studies.

Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes- the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt- these people were obviously collecting for something... yet, that would be it.

"How far Muggles go to ignore magic." said Professor Dumbledore fondly.

The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.

Mr Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrated on drills that morning.

"Oh no! Why?" asked Sirius, his face showing mock horror. Professor McGonagall gave him a look.

He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did;

"Have they gone crazy! They should know not to let all their owls just out like that! What has gotten into them?" Professor McGonagall blew up, making Peter and Alice to jump.

they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped over head.

Professor McGonagall tsked.

Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.

"What a lovely person." said Sirius sarcastically, making James laugh and Remus smile.

He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.

"He doesn't need it." muttered Alice, remembering back on his description. Peter nodded.

He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy.

"Unfortunately, that is how many Muggles feel when around us." sighed Albus.

This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.

"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard-"

"-yes, their son, Harry-"

"What about the Potters?" asked James, but got no response. Though he did get a look from Lily and Professor McGonagall.

Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.

He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking... no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name.

"For the Wizardry world it is." pointed out James.

He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry.

"Very unlikely." said Peter.

Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry.

"That's horrible!" exclaimed Sharpay, everyone else just nodding their heads.

He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey, Or Harold.

"Harvey Potter?" said Sirius.

"Harold Potter?" continued James with a smile.

"Not a ring to it like Harry Potter." finished Peter.

Remus gave them a look while everyone else (besides Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall) gave a groan.

There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at the mention of her sister. He didn't blame her- if he'd had a sister like that...

"I am sure there is nothing wrong with Mrs. Potter." said Professor McGonagall, who was liking the Dursleys less and less by the minute.

but all the same, those people in cloaks...

He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.

"Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man

fell down to the ground and cried out,

"Ouch! You miserable old coot. You-"

"Potter! Read it like it is!" said Lily.

"Mr. Potter, read it like it is or I will read it." stated Professor McGonagall.

James sighed.

stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wise smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who had gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"

"Mr. Potter, I said to read it correctly and to not make jokes. Now hand me the book." said Professor McGonagall.

"I did Professor. It says it right here clear as crystal." stated James joyfully.

"He's gone!" shrieked Alice. And all hell broke loose. While many of them (Remus and Lily smiled) and Regulus and Sirius showed no expressions, and the two Professors just watched in silence, everyone else cheered joyfully. Sirius let loose a couple of brightly colored sparks from his wand, whilst letting loose a couple of whoops.

Professor McGonagall let off a bang, silencing the rowdy teenagers.

"Alright, we are all very happy to hear this, but we need to keep going. I have a stack of papers to go through before tomorrow." she said.

They teenagers sighed, and James picked up where he left off.

And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.

Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was.

"It means a person with not a drop of magic in them." stated Frank like it was obvious. Alice giggled.

He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things

"I thought he didn't approve of imagination," sneered Regulus, "Filthy muggle." he added under his breath so only Severus could hear him.

which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.

As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw- and it didn't improve his mood- was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.

"That's strange." said Sirius with a grin.

"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.

"Very strange." said James with a grin.

Was this normal cat behavior? Mr Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.

Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!")

"Horrible." someone muttered.

Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:

"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today.

"How so?" asked Sirius in a mocking voice. Sharpay looked at him, narrowing her eyes.

"Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight,"

"But I see them during the day. They bring everyone mail, and they usually hunt at night but sometimes they go out and hunt during the day." protested Sirius, frowning. Frank, James, Sharpay, and Aribella all nodded.

"To muggles they don't." reminded Remus. He had told all of his friends who were brought up the wizard way many times.

"Yeah, many muggles maybe do not ever see an owl." added Lily, smiling at the pureblood's expression of shock.

"Muggles are strange." muttered Sirius, James, Frank, Sharpay, and Aribella all nodding.

"there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"

"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early — it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."

Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters…

"He's putting the pieces together," said James. Severus rolled his eyes as did Regulus.

"Obviously Potter. But I highly doubt this idiot can figure it out." sneered Severus. Regulus again nodded.

Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er — Petunia,

Lily gasped. Her sister's name. She glanced at Severus who was also looking at her.

"dear — you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"

As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.

"Horrible people." sniffed Professor McGonagall. Lily couldn't help but have a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. This sounded just like her sister.

"No," she said sharply. "Why?"

"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls… shooting stars… and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today…"

"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.

"Well, I just thought… maybe… it was something to do with… you know… her crowd."

"Her crowd." said Professor McGonagall, her eyes flashing.

"What does that mean?" asked Aribella, frowning. Sirius muttered something under his breath making James laugh.

Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter."

"Wimp." laughed Sirius.

He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son — he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"

"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.

"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"

"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."

"I think its a wonderful name." defended James and Lily at the same time. Sirius laughed as Lily glared and James smirked.

"Now we know what we will be naming our son." said James, making Severus frown and Lily's glare intensify.

"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."

"I don't." said James, making Professor McGonagall to say,

"Mr. Potter, please refrain from saying anything else. I would love to have this chapter done so I can finish checking your homework from yesterday."

He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.

"Wonder what its waiting for." muttered Frank, always curious.

Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did… if it got out that they were related to a pair of — well, he didn't think he could bear it.

The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind…

Professor McGonagall sniffed again angrily. 'Their kind.' she thought.

He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on — he yawned and turned over — it couldn't affect them…

"He's jinxing it." shouted Sirius, making many glare at him.

How very wrong he was.

"Told you." said Sirius smugly.

Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.

A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.

Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.

"I wonder who that is." said Frank with a grin.

This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.

"Obviously." said James, rolling his eyes. Severus and Regulus looked at each other. This constant talking was getting on their last nerves.

Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."

"I knew it!" said Sirius, looking at Professor McGonagall with glee.

"Padfoot I think everyone knew." smiled Remus.

He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.

"Cool, I want one!" Sirius said.

"Yeah, me too!" James added.

He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.

"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."

Once again Sirius smiled, making Professor McGonagall sigh and the teenagers roll their eyes.

He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. "How did you know it was me?" she asked.

"Who else would it be?" James asked.

"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."

"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.

"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."

Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.

"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no — even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news."

"They were being careless, imagine the muggles if they had figured everything out." Professor McGonagall said.

She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls… shooting stars… Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent — I'll bet that was Daedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."

"I always liked him," James said.

"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."

"Eleven years," Lily gasped and Remus, James, Sirius, Frank and Alice looked pale. As did the two Slytherins, but they both quickly regained composure.

"What…" Peter started to ask.

"That means it all happens in about four years," Remus said softly.

"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."

She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"

"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore.

"Good," Sirius said and everyone nodded except the two Slytherins.

"We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"What's that?" asked Sirius.

"A what?"

"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."

"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone —"

"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense — for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort."

The two slytherins, Professor McGonagall, and Peter flinched.

Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's

Those who had flinched before, flinched again.

name."

"I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort,

They flinched again.

was frightened of."

The Gryffindors nodded.

"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."

Sirius snorted, "Yeah right, like what?"

"Only because you're too...well noble to use them."

The Marauders nodded.

"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."

Sirius made a face.

"That was too much information." he said.

Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what they're saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"

"Maybe we'll get to know more about what happened," Frank said eagerly.

It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true.

"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters.

James, Sirius, and Remus shared a look. James and Sirius had paled.

The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are-

"Yes! I get married to Lily Evans!" shouted James, thrusting his fist into the air. Lily gave James a look.

"Just because you marry a woman named Lily, doesn't mean that it is me." protested Lily, making James just shake his head.

"Its you." he said, making Lily sigh.

that they're dead."

At this, James paled. Sirius, Remus, and Peter looked at James.

"I-I'm sure its not you Potter. For all we know, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall could be talking about someone entirely different." said Lily, feeling bad. Everyone else nodded.

Professor McGonagall gasped.

"Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..."

"Didn't know you cared so much Professor," James said, trying to lighten the mood, looking miserable.

Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder.

"I know... I know..." he said heavily.

Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on.

"That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.

"No!" cried James, looking terrified.

But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke — and that's why he's gone."Dumbledore nodded glumly.

"Did he- did my son kill Voldemort?" asked James, receiving no answer, for they were all shocked that a little boy could finally stop the darkest wizard of their time.

"It's — it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed… he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding… of all the things to stop him… but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"

"I'd like to know that too." muttered Remus, his eyes narrowed.

"We can only guess." said Dumbledore. "We may never know."

"I'm sure you know Professor." said Sirius.

Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"

"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"

"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."

"What!" cried Lily, her face a mask of disbelief.

"Lily, you marry James!" Sirius smirked, enjoying her shock. James smiled giddily, but then it disappeared.

"Professor, why would you not send Harry to live with my parents, or Lily's?"

Professor Dumbledore sighed, "I do not know."

"You don't mean – you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four.

"Dumbledore — you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son — I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"

"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."

"A letter?" asked Frank, giving Dumbledore an incredulous look.

"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter?

These people will never understand him! He'll be famous — a legend — I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future — there will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!"

"Wow. My son is... famous? This is unbelievable." said James faintly.

"Exactly." said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"

"Considering his father, it seems like a good idea." teased Alice, making James gasp.

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.

Sirius snorted.

"Hagrid's bringing him."

"You think it —wise — to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"

"Dear Minerva, I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore, giving Professor McGonagall a smile.

"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.

The school-agers all laughed besides the Slytherins.

"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to — what was that?"

A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.

"I want one!" shouted Sirius, his eyes gleaming.

If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild — long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.

"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"

"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."

"Yes! I have a flying bike! A flying motorcycle!" said Sirius, barely able to sit with his excitement.

"But why would Hagrid have my bike?" he added after settling down.

"No problems, were there?"

"No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."

The girls cooed, the boys snickering.

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.

"Is that where —?" whispered Professor McGonagall.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."

"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"

"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well — give him here, Hagrid — we'd better get this over with."

Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.

"Could I — could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.

Sirius huffed, looking wounded at the simile.

"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!"

"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it —Lily an' James dead — an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles —"

"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.

"You left him on the doorstep!" shrieked Lily, giving Dumbledore a shocked look.

"I assure you Ms. Evans-"

"Mrs. Potter!" coughed James.

"That I would not leave him unprotected, out in the open like that." finished Dumbledore, making Lily back down.

"You care about our son." said James, giving Lily a smile. Lily mumbled something that only few could hear, making the choke with laughter.

For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.

"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."

"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall — Professor Dumbledore, sir."

Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.

"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.

Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.

"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.

A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley… He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter — the boy who lived!"

James and Lily frowned, not liking some of the words in the last paragraph.

"So that's the boy-who-lived!" said Sirius, smiling at finding the meaning of the chapter's name.

"Well, I suppose you should all head off to supper. Afterwards, shall we meet again and read one last chapter?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, but Professor, how do we know that this isn't just some fake?" asked Remus, voicing his doubts on this book.

"Only time will tell Mr. Lupin. Now off you trot!" said Dumbledore, his face changing from serious to a more cheerful expression. Once all the teenagers had gone, Professor McGonagall turned to Dumbledore.

"Albus, do you really think these could be real? What if they are just a fake from you-know-who, to try and throw us off? Albus, you can't really have us reading this! This also will take away time from their studying, and our business with the Order!" worried Professor McGonagall.

Dumbledore sighed, showing how torn he was.

"Minerva, I really do think we should continue reading this. If it does turn out to really be true, then we would have the upper hand in this all! Just think, we could even-"

"Find a way to finally stop You-Know-Who." finished Professor McGonagall, pursing her lips.

"Well, off to supper! We can discuss this later."

AN: I'm sorry if this is boring. But its 3 am, and I feel as if as though my eyelids will close down at any minute. I don't think sleeping in the living room over the desk will be good on my neck, back, and pretty much my body. So, once I lay down I am going to work on the second chapter! So, review please. And if you don't read this, oh well. If you do, I love you for listening to my ramble. I also want to thank everyone who favorited me, and/or are following me. Wait, that's creepy. I mean following the story. Gosh I need to go to bed. Alright, enough. By


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